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Study Finds Magma Surge Drove Santorini’s 2025 Quake Swarm

A Nature paper traces roughly 300 million cubic meters of magma rising from depth before stalling about four kilometers beneath the seafloor.

Overview

  • Scientists documented more than 28,000 earthquakes over roughly 30 days, with the strongest exceeding magnitude 5.0.
  • The sequence began with magma entering a shallow reservoir in July 2024, intensified in early January, and accelerated after January 27 before the island subsided.
  • Analyses using land GPS and seismic networks, ocean‑bottom sensors at the Kolumbo volcano, and AI reconstructed the timing and paths of the magma movement.
  • Event locations migrated along a northeast‑trending zone as hypocenters shallowed from about 18 kilometers to near 3 kilometers beneath the seabed.
  • Data indicate a previously unrecognized hydraulic connection between Santorini and nearby Kolumbo, informing continued monitoring after evacuations and a one‑month state of emergency earlier this year.